Marriage & Career

“A career is wonderful, but you can’t curl up with it on a cold night.”- Marilyn Monroe

Would the average Urban Indian Woman be in agreement?! The reason I ask this is that the attitude towards settling down into a marriage has gone through somewhat of a sea-change from a decade ago. While the average age of the Urban Indian woman who gets married has now moved up to 28, there has been not too much of a change for men.

Plenty of reasons could be cited for this. Financial Independence would be the primary reason for this shift. Women in Urban India today have access to higher education, are well-educated, well-read and aware. They have an opinion about everything from global warming to the housing market crash of 2007 and aren’t shy of expressing themselves.

The shift could also be attributed to the Globalization of the economy that commenced in the early 90s and the Advent of the Internet in 2K. Also, women no longer get married just for the sake of getting married any more. It is a well-thought out step where companionship and compatibility score the highest points.

For long, the Indian Society has held onto the view that for an individual especially a woman’s life is happy and complete only if she settles into a marital communion. This has changed now and how. The Society has come to accept this change and adapt towards the new attitude towards Marriage. With advancements in Medical Sciences, the Biological clock also doesn’t pose a serious threat. So, there isn’t a rush to jump into a relationship.

Marilyn Monroe obviously belonged in the 50s and the 60s, but how many women would identify with what she said about having a career and relationships? Are we willing to give-up a lucrative career when love comes along? And do you think there is an ideal age for a woman to settle into the Big M?